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Summary

Remains of a medieval or later tinner's hut situated on the right bank of Fishlake on the southern edge of streamworks. An archaeological field survey in 1995 found it to comprise a single-roomed building measuring 6.4 metres by 2.4 metres internally, with coursed boulder walls up to 1.2 metres wide and 1.1metres high. The entrance is situated in the north wall. No evidence was found to support earlier interpretations of the site as either a blowing house or stamping mill.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking on the River Avon north of Rider's Mire as well as structural remains of tinners' buildings

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NW18
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 441617
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/24

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) BLOWING HOUSE (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• (Former Type) STAMPING MILL (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TINNERS HUT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1933, Blowing Houses in the Valleys of the Sheepstor Brook, the Meavy, the Erme and the Avon, 318-20 (Article in Serial). SDV235818.

A doubtful building stands on the right bank of the Fishlake, about 233 yards in a straight line above the confluence with the Avon and about 100 feet from the stream. The internal dimensions are 19 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 6 inches, an unusually small width for a blowing-house. No mortars or moulds have been found. A hole in the north wall resembles the opening for the wheel axle at the Henglake blowing house (SX 66 NE 32). There is also a raised bank supported by a retaining wall curving round the north west angle of the building. The position of the door and the wing wall which shelters it are not however in accord with the suggested site of the wheel.
On the left bank of the Avon, 310 yards above the confluence with the Fishlake and about 100 feet from the bank of the principal stream of the river, are two small buildings set very close together which were described by (a) as the ruins of tinner's huts.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 217 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950/1977, SX66NW18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV234097.

(17/10/1950) Tinners buildings, remains of. Fishlake. A doubtful building, with some features consistent with its possible status as a blowing house, but no confirmatory evidence. No mortars or mould found. Opening in north wall resembles opening for the wheel axle at house below Henglake. A raised bank supported by a retaining wall, which curves around, north-western angle of building similar to that used for bringing water to the wheel. The position of the door is not in accord with the suggested site of the wheel.
(20/08/1977) On the left bank of the Avon, 310 yards above the confluence with the Fishlake and about 100 feet from the bank of the principal stream of the river, are two small buildings set very close together which were described by (a) as the ruins of tinner's huts.
SX 64616807. A rectangular building, 6.2m. by 2.6m. internally, lies on a gentle slope to the south of Fishlake at 440m. above OD. The walls are faced with coursed small boulders, internally, up to 1.5m. high, and protected by external, revetted banks, up to 3.0m wide overall. There is a doorway, 1.2m. wide, in the north wall which is protected from the northeast by a wing wall. To the east of the doorway within the wall, is a rectangular recess, 0.6m. wide by 0.4m. high. The topographic position would make it almost impossible to provide a head of water to drive a wheel and this building is most probably a tinner's hut.
SX 64906834. These two small, irregular tinner's huts are built hard against the river cliff on the east bank of the River Avon at 440m. above OD. They measure internally circa 3.0m. by 2.0m. and have opposed entrances 0.8m. wide, opening onto a common passage 0.8m. wide. The small boulder walls are faced internally and circa 1.0m. wide and up to 1.2m. high. There are no features, leat, wheel pit, mortar or mould stones to confirm that this is a blowing house and it seems best described as a tinner's hut.
1:10 000 surveys revised on PFD.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Doubtful Devon Tin Mills c1450-c1750, No. 18 (Un-published). SDV336693.

Presumed tinners building, Fishlake. Location of building and field evidence make its status as a tin mill unlikely.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not visible.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East, Map 55 (Monograph). SDV337765.

Depicted and described by Butler.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(05/01/1995) SX 64616807. A single-roomed tinners building lies on the S edge of the streamworks flanking Fishlake. The structure measures 6.4m E to W by 2.4m internally with coursed boulder walls 1.2m wide and 1.1m high. A small recess is situated in the N wall as is the entrance. There is no evidence to suggest that this structure functioned as either a blowing house or stamping mill.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 31 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

One of two buildings, possibly part of a tin mill complex.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 07/01/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

The building at SX 64906834 some 400m to the NE and previously included with this site is now recorded as Monument HOB UID 1063931.

Environment Agency WMS, 2022, Environment Agency LIDAR Composite DSM 2022 - 1m Last return (Cartographic). SDV365448.

Remains of hut visible on the lidar data, approximately 20m north of where the base mapping depicts the building.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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